After months of fans and media calling for his head, it has finally happened. Today, Montreal Canadiens GM Pierre Gauthier fired Head Coach Jacques Martin. Habs Assistant Coach Randy Cunneyworth will take over the coaching duties for the balance of the season. The players were informed of the move this morning as they arrived for their game day skate.

PHOTO CREDIT - CBC.ca

Cornwall - Dec. 17, 2011 - After months of fans and media calling for his head, it has finally happened. Today, Montreal Canadiens GM Pierre Gauthier fired Head Coach Jacques Martin.

Habs Assistant Coach Randy Cunneyworth will take over the coaching duties for the balance of the season. The players were informed of the move this morning as they arrived for their game day skate.

In one season coaching the Hamilton Bulldogs, Cunneyworth led the team to a 44-27-2-7 record, and wonthe AHL North Division title. Canadiens assistant GM and former NHLer Larry Carrière has been named an assistant coach.

Montreal is at home to the New Jersey Devils tonight. Cunneyworth will be behind the bench tonight.

Looking back, it would have made sense to make this move during the summer before the Canadiens lost Kirk Muller. Muller left the Habs to coach in the AHL and was recently hired as the Head Coach of the Carolina Hurricanes.

Montreal has always seemed to have an unwritten policy that their head coach must be bilingual. In my mind, that has hurt the organization - as it narrows their pool of potential candidates. The hiring of Jacques Martin is a good example.

With Gauthier announcing that Cunneyworth will be the coach for the remainder of the season, it allows lots of time for the media and fans to speculate about possible permanent Head Coaches.

For sure, Randy Cunneyworth will be given a shot over the balance of this year. Other names that may surface include Marc Crawford, Bob Hartley, Newell Brown, Pierre McGuire, Patrick Roy, and maybe even Pat Quinn.